Soon Colorado citizens will decide whether to support the current insurance system or muster the courage to change the entire system.

The Colorado Medical Society has been dedicated to advancing the profession of medicine and to caring for the people of Colorado. In 2006, the CMS House of Delegates recognized that: “The health care system in Colorado is broken and the entire system needs to be reformed. Working only on one part will cause problems in other areas.” The delegates then approved the CMS Guiding Principles of Health System Reform:

Coverage- Health care coverage for Coloradans should be universal, portable, and mandatory.

Benefits- An essential benefits package should be uniform, with an option to obtain additional benefits.

Delivery system- The system must ensure choice of physician and preserve the patient/physician relationships. The system must focus on providing care that is safe, timely, efficient, patient-centered, and equitable.

Administration and governance- The system must be simple, transparent, accountable, efficient, and effective in order to reduce administrative costs and maximize funding for patient care. The system should be overseen by a governing body that includes regulatory agencies, payers, consumers, and care givers and that is accountable to the citizens.

Financing- Health care coverage should be equitable, affordable, and sustainable. The financing strategy should strive for simplicity, transparency, and efficiency. It should emphasize personal responsibility as well as societal obligations due to the limited nature of resources available for health care.

We believe that ColoradoCare, Amendment 69, can achieve the principles listed above, and will replace the present adversarial relationship between physicians and insurers. ColoradoCare will improve health care across the state via a working health care system in Colorado that benefits both patients and providers. Please vote yes for ColoradoCare, Amendment 69, on Nov. 8.

Sincerely,

Ben Vernon MD, FACS, past president of the Colorado Medical Society

Laird Cagan MD, FACP, past president of the Boulder Medical Society and Physicians for ColoradoCare co-chair